Sam asked
Do hydrocodone expire? I have an old bottle from a surgery and could use them again.
Answer
Yes, like all medication, hydrocodone do expire after a set period of time.
The expiration date on hydrocodone is determined by multiple factors, but most importantly, it refers to how long the manufacturer is willing to guarantee that the product meets the labeled standards of potency and purity.
Medication Expiration And Beyond Use Dates
Most medication is listed with an expiration date of 2-3 years from the time of manufacturing and typically correlates with the time period for which the manufacturer performed stability testing.
While manufacturers could theoretically perform stability tests for longer periods of time, they don't really have financial incentive to do so. In addition, most medication is consumed within a few years time so longer tests are often unnecessary.
After the set expiration date, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the medication “goes bad” in terms of being harmful to take, it just means that the manufacturer only has stability data for a limited period of time. When medication expires, it cannot be guaranteed that the medication will retain the listed potency and purity when stored at proper conditions.
When a pharmacy dispenses you a medication, it must be labeled with an expiration date or a beyond use date.
The beyond use date that is listed depends on the product being dispensed and takes into account how long a drug is stable after being dispensed.
In most cases, the beyond use date will be shorter than the manufacturer expiration date as the beyond use date specifically refers to an expiration time after dispensing or repackaging a medication. The state in which you are located has laws to determine the beyond-use date for most dispensed products.
Most commonly, and as a general rule of thumb, the expiration date listed on your bottle will be the beyond-use date of one year, or the manufacturer listed expiration date, whichever is sooner.
How Fast Do Expired Drugs Degrade?
In general, medications degrade over time. Medication degradation can be accelerated if not stored properly and exposed to conditions such as:
- Light
- Excess moisture
- Excess heat
The increased likelihood of improper medication storage is one of the reason why the beyond-use date of dispensed medication is typically shorter than the manufacturer expiration date.
Although medications do tend to lose a percentage of their original potency over time, data from studies indicate that it takes a considerable amount of time for this to happen, for most medications.
One of the largest studies that evaluated drug stability over time was done in the 1980's. With a large stock of expired medications stored for military use, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) tested the potency of the expired drugs to see whether or not they would still be effective for use. They found that the vast majority of drugs still had around 70-80% potency after 10 years if stored in the original container! This led to the Shelf Life Extension Program.
Nevertheless, it is often impossible to visually tell if an expired medication has lost potency. Therefore, it is not recommended to take any medication that has expired, in most situations.
Can You Take Expired Hydrocodone?
When it comes to taking expired hydrocodone in particular, it is recommended that you not take any medication that is past its expiration or beyond-use date. When a medication is past its expiration date, the potency of the drug may be negatively affected, and may not work as well. Therefore, it may not treat your symptoms appropriately.
Although it is more likely than not that your expired hydrocodone will retain some potency and will have some effect, it may not work as well as it did when it was in date.
In addition, if your hydrocodone is expired, it is very likely that you are taking it in a situation where you have not been evaluated by your doctor for your current condition. It is important for individuals to take hydrocodone only when it has been prescribed to them for a specific purpose. Taking a medication, such as hydrocodone, outside of prescribed parameters and doctor supervision can lead to an increased risk of overdose and serious side effects.
If you are in need of a refill of your hydrocodone since it is expired, be sure to reach out to your doctor.
Summary
- Hydrocodone, like all medication, do expire.
- It is not recommended to take expired medication, including expired hydrocodone.
- Expired medication may have lost potency and may not work as well as it did when it was in-date.
